In line with French law, Beaujolais Nouveau is released around the world on the third Thursday in November and is the ultimate ‘vin de primeur’!

Beaujolais, made using 100% Gamay grapes, is hand-harvested and vinified using a method known as whole-bunch berry fermentation. This creates a wine of vibrant colour and brimming with raspberry, blueberry, cranberry and pear fruit. It’s light in body and tastes delicious served slightly chilled.

Georges Duboeuf popularized Beaujolais wines, leading to Duboeuf’s nickname of Le Roi du Beaujolais (The King of Beaujolais) or sometimes Pape du Beaujolais (Pope of Beaujolais)! Born in 1933 in the Poully-Fuissé appellation of France, he was raised on a small farm where his family owned a few acres of Chardonnay vines. As a child, he helped out on the family farm, cranking the manual grape crusher when he was just 6. Aged 18 he began delivering wine on his bicycle from producers to local restaurants.

He began bottling Beaujolais to meet a customer’s commission, and went on to form a syndicate of 45 local growers, the Ecrin Mâconnais-Beaujolais. After organisation fell apart due to squabbling, Duboeuf became a négociant and in 1964 heformed “Les Vins George Duboeuf” which he still oversees. Georges Duboeuf represents over 400 wine-growers in the Beaujolais region.

Beaujolais Nouveau’s perfect food match is with Brie and Camembert cheese. It’s also a great match with fish, salads and Christmas day dinner!

We have Beaujolais Nouveau available at all 3 ely restaurants for a limited time only. Pop into us and sample this delicious wine served slightly chilled.

Influential UK wine writer Mathew Jukes released his 100 best Australian wines for 2012 and, as usual, it features a host of ely restaurants favourites. The list covers a broad spectrum of prices and styles, from affordable, quality orientated producers such Willunga 100, Innocent Bystander and Pewsey Vale, to world class, highly sought after names such as Cullen, Henschke and Clonakilla. A new name to that list, and to ours, is Ten Minutes by Tractor. Taking its name from the distances between the three vineyards, TMBT is – as

Matthew Jukes 100 Best Australian Wines List for 2012

Mathew puts it – “a major force to be reckoned with in the world of global Pinot Noir worship”.

Based in Mornington Peninsula, southeast of Melbourne, they have developed a reputation for sublime, elegant and complex wines from the two grapes that excel in the region, the great Burgundian duo of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They produce stunning single vineyard wines from the McCutchen, Wallis and Judd vineyards, and the 10X wines, which are blended from the three. These wines challenge the very best from burgundy and at the same time remain distinctly Australian.

Four of their wines are currently listed in ely winebar 22 Ely Place, the 10x Chardonnay 2010- fresh pear and white peach on the nose, with a smoky, minerally palate and lovely weight on the finish. The 2008 Wallis Vineyard Chardonnay is an even more complex affair with stones and stone fruit- peaches and nectarines with a minerality that surges forward on the palate, and the deft use of oak results in an incredible harmony of texture and flavour. It is a stunning wine.

TEN MINUTES BY TRACTOR 10X PINOT NOIR 2010

Of the Pinots, the 2010 10X Pinot Noir is soft, ripe and fragrant, with strawberry, cherry and a touch of damson and a remarkable freshness. It would put many a big name Burgundy to shame.

The 2009 McCutchen is among the finest Pinots I’ve ever tasted from Australia- It impresses at first with its vibrant red fruits- fresh cherry and raspberry, and a texture so silky it’s almost sinful . But given some time in the glass it develops in to something altogether different, conjuring up savoury, meaty aromas, and a smoky spiciness. Everything comes together seamlessly in a finish that lingers on the palate like a fond memory.

Chenin Blanc never seems to get the love it deserves here in Ireland, forever being passed over for that other “Blanc”. Maybe it’s because the wines aren’t as well known- Savennières and Vouvray don’t always jump to the mind as quickly as Sancerre and Pouilly Fume. It could be that it’s new world equivalent is often very underwhelming- let’s face it, South African Chenin Blanc cannot hold a candle to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

But more likely it is because of the wines themselves. These are not easy wines. They can be difficult to appreciate, often austere in their youth. They age wonderfully, but frequently enter a ‘teenage’ period – inexpressive and dumb- giving little indication of the wonders that will develop in future years, and wines encountered during these periods can often be misunderstood.

Chenin Blanc takes time- not necessarily time in bottle, as young Chenin Blanc can be superb- but time to get to know. And, like all things that require time to appreciate, when you finally fall under its charms, the rewards are ten-fold.

One such wine is Montlouis ‘Minérale +’- 100% Chenin Blanc, mostly from old vines. This is a ‘natural’ wine- organically grown grapes, no sulphites or additives and wild yeasts. It combines the classic Loire flavours of apples and pears, lemon, honey and a touch of wet-wool with a precise yet balanced acidity, and an almost piercing minerality ( hence the name). It is a wonderful partner to seafood- Scallops, oysters or simply cooked white fish. Or just sit at the bar with some calamari…

Our line up of cookery classes with wine and food matching continues for 2012!

March

Wednesday 14th: Forgotten Favourites €49 per head
Why not treat your mother to a night of forgotten favourites in Irish cooking, where we put a modern twist on the recipes you grew up with!

Tuesday 27th: Perfect Easter Sunday Dinner €49 per head
Our Executive Head Chef will demonstrate how to cook the perfect 3 course Easter Sunday Dinner for all the family, and our award winning sommelier will taste you through the ideal wines to serve with it.

AprilTuesday 3rd >> Easter chocolate delights €45 per head
Our expert pastry chef, Montacer Mansour will teach you how to create those mouth watering chocolate desserts, that will have your friends and family owing and aahing!!

Tuesday 24th >> cheese and wine matching €45 per head
Ian Brosnan, our sommelier will present an evening on the tricky task of pairing cheese and wines, focusing on what works best, and why!

MayTuesday 8th >> superfoods, super bodies €45 per head
Some foods are so good for you they are classified as ‘super foods’. In this cookery class we’ll take a look at the super food category and teach you some delicious and interesting recipes for them.

Tuesday 15th >> play date perfection €45 per head
How to entertain the little ones and parents without stress! Healthy quick bites for all, with of course a lesson on ‘what wines we love’ by Ian Brosnan, for the Big people only!

Tuesday 29th >> summer dinner party €49 per head
This excellent class on selecting, preparing and cooking fish is ideal for those who would like to gain some confidence in cooking with fish in the kitchen. We’ll also give you a lesson on the matching wine with fish and fish based dishes.

Ryan Stringer - ely Head Chef

JuneTuesday 5th >> BBQ night €49 per head

With both the Euro finals and the Olympics this summer, our BBQ class is the perfect way for you to prepare for a summer of entertaining friends at home! Our class will include preparing meat, fish, vegetables and marinades for the BBQ to give you the wow factor, followed by super wines for a summers evening.

JulyTuesday 4th: USA night €55 per head

Thought America was only famous for beef burgers? Think again! At ely’s USA night we’ll teach you a repertoire of fun and funky dishes from across the American continent, we’ll finish the evening off with a lesson on American wines and beers.

Fondant au chocolat – (The recipe of Alain Ducasse in his book “Bistro”)Banyuls Coume del Mas
The best accord food-wine

Yves Orliac of Domaine de L’Hortus will be having a very Mediterranean Christmas menu which looks absolutely mouth-watering.

Apéritif : There are different toasts.

Toast of Black and green “tapenade”.

A little bit of “Boutargue” (Mediterranean caviar).

Jam and sausage from Corsica.

Starters :

Wild smoked salmon (from Ireland) on “tartine” of black bread with butter and a stalk of dill.

Oysters from Marennes with a lemon or vinegar sauce with herbs.

And of course “Foie Gras” with Guerande’s salt.

Green salad (with no eggs).

Main Course :

Turbot fish cooked in the beer (It is a “spécialitée” of Sylvie Courselle).

Dessert :

Cheese board : Roquefort, goat’s cheese…

Chocolat’s cake (Frederique loves chocolate)

Want to learn more about Bordeaux or Southern French wines or improve your culinary skills with a cookery course: ely has all the answers: click here to see the full range of events and tastings next year.

‘Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilised pleasures’ Michael Broadbent

Improve your culinary skills in 2012. Our cookery school teaches essential kitchen techniques and recipes used daily in our 3 restaurants, to bring the ely experience home. Our cookery course is one with a difference: we’ll not only teach you chef skills, award winning sommelier, Ian Brosnan, will do a food and wine matching lesson each evening so you can taste the perfect wines with the evening’s dishes!

From the beginning the ethos at ely has been simple: we want to serve good quality, simple food that works well with our wine list. Focusing on using locally sourced and seasonal produce in a creative and fun way, Ryan Stringer, our Executive Head Chef, will demonstrate how to prepare and cook a 3 course meal using the best of Irish produce. Ryan will guide you through the process from sourcing the raw ingredients, preparation, timing and presentation of your dish. So whether it’s selecting the right cut of meat and doing it justice or mastering the art of the pastry chef, ely’s cookery school has something for everyone!

ely has always prided itself on its award winning wine list. After the demonstration, we’ll serve up the prepared dishes whilst Ian Brosnan, award-winning sommelier, presents the ideal white and red wines to serve with your food, explaining the principles of food and wine matching.

ely’s BIG wine tasting is a fantastic opportunity to taste wine from all corners of the globe. We open up over 80 of our favourite wines and have experts on hand to guide you through the tasting. Whether you want to explore the great wines of the world or simply enjoy more of the wines you love, our BIG wine tasting is the tasting for you.